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Joseph and His Amazing Technicolor Toucan
A Fine Feathered Friend
It has been four months since Joseph received his beautiful Toco toucan and,
as he says, things are “excellent!” Rocko, now almost five months old, has
become a wonderful companion to Joseph, who is a natural at caring for this
exotic bird. He explains that toucans and parrots have similar needs, but there
is one distinct difference between the two: the volume of their voices.
Joseph is quick to dispel the myth that toucans are loud. He points out
that, when he had parrots, he could hear their calls “down the block,” but Rocko
has proven to be much more subtle. When Rocko is happy he makes a clicking noise
(“like a cat meowing and a deck of cards being shuffled at the same time”) and
when Joseph leaves the room where Rocko’s cage is, he makes a croaking sound
like a frog.
Rocko’s diet consists of mostly fruit – grapes being his favorite. He craves
them so much that he performs a trick to get them. Joseph can stand across the
room, throw a grape toward him, and Rocko will catch it in mid-air! Since Rocko
has his wings clipped, he is allowed to stay out of his cage to do impressive
feats like these, and meet visitors, but he is not permitted to fly around the
house. According to Joseph, Rocko is quite fearless and loves to be around
people, especially him and his three younger brothers. Because of his
captivating personality, everyone who meets him is an instant fan!
For those who are thinking about having a toucan as a pet, Joseph highly
recommends doing research on the bird first. Toucans require a lot of
specialized attention (i.e. diet restrictions), but he assures that “they will
reward you with their affection.” The abundance of love and devotion that Joseph
gives to Rocko is certainly given back to him in return. Joseph is ecstatic when
talking about Rocko, calling him “a wish that I will definitely never forget!”
On 4/4/08 12:06 PM, "Andrea Franco" <Andrea@makeawish-suffolkny.org> wrote:
The Make-A-Wish Foundation® of Suffolk County, NY, Inc.
1 Comac Loop, Suite 1A1
Ronkonkoma, NY 11779
(631) 585-WISH (9474)
FAX: (631) 585-0762
EMAIL:
wishmail@makeawish-suffolkny.org
For more information about our National
Organization
or to find a chapter near you, visit:
The Make-A-Wish Foundation® of America
Last Modified: 09/25/2007
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